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Is Daniel’s 70th week the Tribulation?
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Revelation 2:22
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation,
except they repent of their deeds.
Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
If memory serves me right; these are the main verses people use when referring to a futuristic specific period of “Tribulation” with the last half of this period being referred to as “The Great Tribulation” but as none of these verses mention a specific period of 7 years, where do we get this 7 year time frame from?
Daniel 9:27
#1) And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: #2) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
This is the last of the 70 weeks Prophecy God imposed on Daniel’s people, the Israelites when the end of a previous 70 year Prophecy imposed on these same people, from God, through Jeremiah was about complete and it is this last week of the 70 weeks that people have spiritually interpreted to be what Christ was saying in Matthew Chapter 24 and verses 21 & 29 are to be relating to but is this biblical? Was this the time frame Christ was referring to when this “Tribulation” or “Great Tribulation” would befall man?
#1) And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: This is where most believe and teach that it will be either Satan or the Antichrist that will establish a 7 year peace treaty between Arab, Russian, European Countries and/or Muslim nations and Israel. This will be a peace treaty that will allow
Daniel 9:26.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Who is/are the subject he(s) in this verse? The first mentioned is of course the Messiah; Christ Himself. The second; which is believed to be Satan or the Antichrist is “the prince that shall come” but is this person the subject of this part of the verse? No! He is mentioned in a continuing sentence as follows “and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” it is the people of this prince that shall come that are the second subject of this verse. Again; it is not the prince but the people of the prince that are mentioned here so this prince can not be this he who “shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” so who is? Since there is only one other He mentioned, sentence structure demands that it is this He who will “confirm the covenant with many for one week” is none other than the Messiah; Christ Himself. This brings up the next most important part of this verse which helps to explain it.
And he shall confirm the covenant: Those who look to this and see a peace treaty being created, made or developed do so not of their own understanding or even study but in fact, rely on the teachings of those before them. What does confirm the covenant mean? What does confirm mean? And how does confirming the covenant show us a newly created, made or developed covenant? Daniel; as are all OT verses, is translated from the Hebrew language. What does confirm translate from in Hebrew?
The Hebrew word for confirm is Gabar and is given the following possible definitions through Strong’s Concordance #01396: 1) to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great a) (Qal) 1) to be strong, mighty 2) to prevail b) (Piel) to make strong, strengthen c) (Hiphil) 1) to confirm, give strength 2) to confirm (a covenant) d) (Hithpael) 1) to show oneself mighty 2) to act proudly (toward God)
Confirm in the English language is given the following definitions according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary: to give approval to: RATIFY *confirm a treaty*2: to make firm or firmer: STRENGTHEN *confirm one's resolve* 3: to administer the rite of confirmation to 4: to give new assurance of the validity of: remove doubt about by authoritative act or indisputable fact *confirm a rumor* *confirm an order*
In either example; no definition is given that could even be seen as created, made, initialized, developed, started or even established. What we do see in both examples is that confirm means to make stronger, or to strengthen and this relates to making something stronger or to strengthen something already in existence. One definition in Hebrew even states “to confirm (a covenant)” but what or which covenant is it that Christ is confirming; making stronger, or ratifying here? The Abrahamic Covenant that
#2) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease: This is where most believe Satan or the Antichrist break his own treaty and begins destroying the Israelites and or the Holy People which may or may not include Christians. As we have determined that this is in fact; the Messiah or Christ Himself, what does this mean in relation to Him? It says that this “he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” comes in the midst of the week; or 3 ½ days into it but we must remember, these are prophetic weeks, which translate into years so this would be 3 ½ years. What did Christ do after a period of 3 ½ years after He began His Ministry and teaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, near or nigh?
He died on the cross for the sins of mankind. Christ’s Ministry only lasted 3 ½ years and one of the things He accomplished by dying on that cross was to “cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease” the word “cease” here comes from the Hebrew word “Shabath” and other than simply to mean to cease, desist or rest, it also is given the following definitions in Strong’s through #07673: 1) to cause to cease, put an end to 2) to exterminate, destroy 3) to cause to desist from 4) to remove 5) to cause to fail: and it is all of these that Christ did to the sacrifice and oblation by dying on the cross. This did not stop the Apostate 1st Century Jews from continuing to offer these sacrifices and oblations in the
The rest of Daniel 9:27 tells us “and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” again; as the He is Christ, this states that “for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” What is the it that Christ made desolate? The it; we’ve been discussing is the sacrifice and oblation, this is what Christ made desolate, laid waste or of no use.
Now that we have abolished this 1st 3 ½ years as part of this Tribulation; what happened to the last 3 ½ years that is supposedly “The Great Tribulation”? We must first understand and accept that as this is a prophecy; it is continuous unto or until its completion with no breaks, gaps or other interferences. As some teach and believe that this final week has been projected into the future as this time of tribulation, because of the refusal of the 1st Century Jews to accept Christ, (Gap Theory or God had to switch to Plan B) there must be biblical precedence for this and looking at all prophecies that I know of, or have been taught about, I see no other instance of a prophecy being split into different times of fulfillment, not one.
That being said; I know I have opened myself up for attack and question as even this final week of Daniel’s 70 weeks is only 1 of those weeks and this total 70 weeks was broken down to Daniel as Seven weeks, threescore and two (or 62) weeks, and then this final week but it is important here to notice that the breaking up of this 70 weeks into these 3 intervals does not project them into different time frames of fulfillment with gaps in between. This is a continuous 70 weeks; with specific things needing to be accomplished within them. Here are verses 24 & 25 which explain this breakdown and what was to be accomplished within the first seven weeks, and the following threescore and two weeks, which would have the 70th week following, in verses 26 & 27.
24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Verse 24 explains all of the things that would be accomplished within the entire 70 week period. Verse 25 shows “that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks” This shows the entire seven weeks; and the subsequent threescore and two weeks would be exhausted by the time Messiah the Prince, or Christ would come. Although Christ was sent as the Messiah, His Ministry did not begin until John the Baptist baptized Him in the river
After defeating the Devil’s temptations; we find in Matthew 4:11-17 “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
This is when Christ began His earthly; 3 ½ years Ministry but some have problems in understanding Christ being cut off in the last week because of how verse 26 starts
“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself”
We know the seven weeks preceded the threescore and two weeks and this part of the verse says that Christ would be cut off after the threescore and two weeks. What most people miss here is the word after. Most believe; have been taught and continue to teach the Christ was cut off “after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” In a period of 70 continuous weeks, what comes after the 69th week? The 70th week! Christ was cut off in the 70th week and Daniel 9:27 shows that He was cut off in this last of the 70 weeks and that He was cut off in the midst; or half way through the 70th week “midst of the week” Again; 3 ½ years into this last prophetic week but this still doesn’t tell us what happened during the last half of the prophetic week.
As stated; this prophecy, as in all others before or since, must be a continuous time of fulfillment up to and including the consummation or end of it. One can only guess at this point but it is believed that as Jesus told the disciples to first go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5) but that they would eventually go out into all the world (Acts 1:8) it is believed the Apostles remained in Israel for these 3 ½ years.
When Jesus described this time of The Tribulation & Great Tribulation to the Apostles in Matthew 24:21 & 29 did He give them any clue as to they would not have to endure or be part of it? Quite the contrary: Just prior to Jesus speaking of this time of Great Tribulation; in verse 21, He tells them this, in verse 20. “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day” 2 verses later’ in verse 23, speaking to the same Apostles about this time, Christ says “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. “Shall say unto YOU” to them, who would be living then, when this tribulation would come about.
Are we ever told in the Bible that the Apostles or any believer will not have to endure tribulation? Most of; in not all the Apostles were killed so I think that rules them out, we face tribulation every day. Are there any verses that say the Apostles would not even have to endure this special period of tribulation? Not one. No believer is promised they will not have to endure tribulation in this life, there are many verses
that prove believers have, are and will.
John 16:33 Christ speaking Himself: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”
Acts 14:22 “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the
Romans 5:3 we’re to glory in tribulation! “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience”
Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer”
1st Thessalonians 3:4 “For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation;
even as it came to pass, and ye know”
2nd Corinthians 1:4 “Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”
1st Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it”
God has promised that His children would not endure His wrath 1st Thessalonians 5:9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” but we; like the Apostles and those of the first century or even those people before them, were never promised a tribulation or trouble free life. He will help us; He will guide us, He will protect us but even this does not mean we will not go through it or even be killed in it. The Wilderness Generation was brought through the tribulation; awat from Pharaoh by going through a dried up riverbed in the red sea; some of the Israelites were brought through the 40 years in the wilderness but even of those who didn’t; such as Moses & Aaron, provided they were faithful to God, I believe they are in Heaven today.
Deuteronomy 4:30-31 Even Moses knew believers must endure Tribulation:
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
When Christ mentioned “Then shall be Great Tribulation” and “The Tribulation of those days” when did He say this would happen and whom did He say would be alive when it came to be? These verses are found in Matthew 24 in the Olivet Discourse which was a private teaching between Christ and the Apostles about the things they would see, witness and suffer during their lifetimes, THIS/THEIR generation, not one over 2,000 years later.
A comparison to consider:
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Luke 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
Acts 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Romans 15:8 now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” + “the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ” = the close, finish, consummation or end of Daniel’s 70th week so let’s stop using this verse as part & parcel in the understanding of what many call “The Tribulation”!
Any Questions, Comments, Critiques, Concerns, Suggestions?
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